Foundation offers insight into year’s work through annual report By Joan C. Smith Grange Foundation Board Chairwoman Greetings Fellow Grange Members: It is a pleasure to serve as the Chair of your Grange Foundation and hope I have served you well. Below I share with you the Foundation activities since our 154th Annual Convention in November 2020 through November 2021. We would like to thank all Grangers and Granges who contributed during these past 18 months to any of the Grange Foundation funds. This certainly was a traumatic year for many Grange families who lost loved ones, suffered illness, and continue to have residual health issues as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Your Grange Foundation board of directors continued to meet virtually every other month to manage the investment portfolio, look at alternative fundraising avenues, program planning, grant options, how to support our members and Granges and to determine our way-ahead for supporting the Grange programs. Organization Structure Our committee and members of the 1-N-1000 Club, developed recommendations on our Board structure, the election process, and sub-committees. By-Laws were amended which allows the Delegates to the National Grange Convention to vote for candidates who have applied by October 15 or on those nominated from the floor during our Annual Grange Foundation meeting. This 10-member Board may include individuals who are not Grange members but have shown an interest in the Grange and its programming. Fundraising Grange Foundation has the following 12 individual fund areas:
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• American Arts and Heritage/Culture Fund • Headquarters Building Fund • GROW Club Fund • Kelley Farm Fund • Leadership and Community Development Fund • Communications Fellows Fund • Youth Exchange Program Fund • Program for the Deaf Awareness Fund • Junior Leadership Development Fund • National Lecturer Fund • Youth Leadership Development Fund • Grange Foundation – General Fund Your support is greatly appreciated and donations may be made online at www.grangefoundation.org or by check to Grange Foundation, sent to 1616 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20006. We are now reworking our Foundation website to modernize it and provide the type of data needed by individuals in corporate giving offices such as board member bios, Foundation financial info, measures of impact, etc. We then asked Amanda Brozana-Rios, a National Grange employee, to provide a few hours of her work month to fundraise for the Foundation. We also tried something new: a Grange Foundation Virtual Telethon in June 2021. The telethon, conceptualized and carried out by National Grange Junior Director Samantha Wilkins and National Grange Youth Director Mandy Bostwick, was held in support of the Junior and Youth Programs. A total of nearly $23,000 was raised in the one-day event. There will be another telethon in July 9, 2022. Members can contact Samantha at samantha@nationalgrange.org to become a host of a segment, provide a recorded testimony, be interviewed, or to offer a video of your talent or some other demonstration. Sponsors get special recognition. We are also seeking individuals
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
GRANGE FOUNDATION MISSION STATEMENT The Grange Foundation supports youth development, promotes
agriculture education and research, improves communities, and fosters culture, heritage, citizenship, and charitable activities.
willing to provide funds for a matching contribution. “Grange GivingTuesday” Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States that encourages people to do good. It is touted as a “global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.” On November 29, 2022, or any Tuesday of any month there are hundreds of ways to participate in Grange GivingTuesday (GGT). Whether you give your voice, goods, your time, or your money, being generous is a way to fight for the causes you care about and help people in need. Investment Portfolio In October of 2019 we completed our analysis of our portfolio and moved the funds to Park Avenue Securities with First Financial Group (FFG) as our investment manager. Since inception in October 2019, in its first year we have realized a return of 9.07%. The income earned from January through October 2021 is $22,131. The board is very pleased with the performance of our investments and look forward to continuing positive earnings. Audit An independent audit was conducted of the Grange Foundation financial documents, and all was found to be in
